Pin setting machine



p 3, 1951 c E. GOFF 2,547,203

PIN SETTING MACHINE Filed NOV. 27, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 a E O I\ Q g o w 25 F8 H 4 Jfl April 3, 1951 c. E. GOFF PIN SETTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 27, 1946 Charles E. Goff April 3, 1951 c, G F 2,547,203

PIN SETTING MACHINE Filed NOV. 27, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor Charles E. Goff y WWW 19m April 3, 1951 c. E. GOFF 2,547,203

I PIN SETTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 27, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 w N) m I D h. v

Fig. 4.

Inventor Charles E. Goff MEM Patented Apr. 3, 1951 UNITED STATES RATENT' OFFICE,

rm SETTING MACHINE Qharles E. Goff, Sherrill, N. Y

A li tion November 27, 1946, Serial N 0. 712,703;

3 C am This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a pin setting machine and more Specifically has reference to an apparatus for automatically depositing a set of pins upon a bowling alley and spotting them in the correct position for play; which apparatus includes a pin supporting structure movable towards and away from a bow-ling alley and which will auto-. matically release the pins carried therebywhen at a position of nearest approach to the bowlin alley;

The principal object of this invention is to deposit and accurately position an entire set of. bowling pins simultaneously upon a bowling alley. automatically by apparatus that readily lends itself to remote control.

Another important object of this invention, in conformity with the preceding object, is to provide a mechanism wherein the entire set. of pins may besimultaneously engaged and released and wherein the release of the pins is positively synchronized with the. movements of the pin sup-. porting structure towards and away from the alley.

These, together with various ancillary objects ofthe invention which will later become apparent as. thelfoilowing description proceeds, are realized by this invention, one. embodiment of which has, been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein. like numerals indicate. similar parts throughout the various; views and. wherein:

Figure 1 is a topv pian view of the invention shown in the position for placing a set, of pins upona bowling alley;

Figure 2 isa side elevational view of the. deviceshowing a set of pins placed, upon the bowling alley and" illustrating the operating: mechanism apbs -ti whe in; he inlu mea s. has. just been released Figure 3: is a View similar tg Figure 2 but showis he ev i s; r tra e petit on;- a d With; secondset; t pin e saee n e eready toe. be; placed upon; the alley inits proper turn;

E us s a l w r plan w. o he d ce illus wa ting; the manner of attaching the pin dut h. Ja s, thereto.

Figure 5; is; a front elevational view of the devi e Figure 6, is a vertical sectional detailed viewv aken ubstant a p n he e t ine 6- 6. o F ur 5;:

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail view in section through one of the pin clutch members illustrat na c u hiaws, r ppi a pi F gure 8. s a iew sim ar o; F g re but illustrating the clutch jaws in their released position; and,

Figure 9 is a. wiring diagram of the electrical circuit employed in operating the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, IG- designates a portion of a bowling alley having a pin pit I2 and a backstop wall It. The alley and pin pit are bounded at their sides by the customary side walls 55 and a compartment I6 is disposed in back of the backstop wall M for housing and appropriately mounting an operating mechanism for the pin setting device.

As shown best in Figures 2 and 3-, the backstop wall it is provided with suitable apertures 29 through which extend a pair of levers or operating arms 22 pivotally mountedin a suitable manner at the rear of thewall [4 as indicated at 24. As shown best in Figures 1 and 4, the levers or arms 22 havev right angularly disposed extremities 26 at their outer ends which are adapted to engage and are attached in any suitable manner to a rack which is preferably of triangular shape and is designated at 281 The rack is provided with a plurality of apertures 3G in suitably spaced positions for looselyreceiving and positioning aconventional set of bowling pins as at 32. As will be understood, the rack is so mounted and the apertures 30 are so spaced that when the. rack is lowered in a manner to be set forth hereinafter, the set of pins received in the apertures 39 will be placed and properly spotted upon a bowling alley in position for play.

As shown best in Figures 2, 5 and 6, the rack 28 is provided with a plurality of downwardly extending stop or abutment, means; indicated at.

34, which are cushioned at their lower ends and are adapted to support the rack at a predetermined and desired height above a bowling alley without injury to the surface of thelatter.

Attention is now directed more particularly to Figures 1, i, 5 and 6 wherein there is disclosed an automatically operated pin engaging and re-- leasing means. Bivotally mounted upon the rack 28 is a frame support consisting of a pair of sidearms 38, pivoted as at 40 to the sides of the triangular frame adjacent the rear end thereof. The frame proper consists of a pair of angle iron members 42- disposed upon. the outside of the sides of the triangular rack 28 and extending parallel thereto, and connected at their ends and intermediate their ends by transversely extending angle iron bars or cross members it; last mentioned construction is shown best by the lower plan view of Figure. 4.

Intermediate theends of. the members 38, are.

This.

depending bolting means 45 extending through the lateral flanges of the angle iron frame members 42 intermediate their extremities, and vertically adjustably engaging the same as by means of screw threaded nuts 48. It will thus be seen that as the levers 3B are raised or lowered about the pivot points 40, by a means to be later set forth, the connection 45 and 35 causes the raising and lowering of the frame side members 12 and the transverse bars 44 extending therebetween on vertical depending guide bars or hangers 41 carried by the rack 28.

As shown best in Figures and 6, a pair of brackets 56 is mounted underneath the rack 28 immediately to the front and rear of each of the apertures 39. These brackets may be secured in any suitable manner as by welding, riveting, bolts or the like to the undersurface of the rack 28. Pivotally mounted upon and depending from each pair of brackets 50, is a set of clutch mem-- bers or clutch jaws 52, there being two such jaws disposed at each aperture 39, said jaws being pivoted upon a common fulcrum 53 in each of the brackets 59. As shown more clearly in Figure 8, each of the clutch jaws 52 constituting a set is pivoted upon a common pin 58 securedin the brackets 53, and these jaws are provided with semi-cylindrical gripping surfaces 58 which are appropriately contoured to firmly engage the bulbous surface of a bowling pin 32 immediately below portion of enlarged diameter. The clutch jaws 52 are positioned in proper relation to the sides of the bowling pin by means of depending arms 69 which support the jaws from the pivoting pin 56. It will thus be seen that when the jaws are closed as in the position shown in Figures 5 and '7, a bowling pin will be securely retained therein, while when the jaws are opened as shown in Figured, the rack 28 and depending frame may be lifted from the pins without disturbing the position of the latter upon the bowling alley.

As is well known in the game of bowling, the ten pins comprising said game are disposed in triangular formation in four rows, having four pins in the back row, :lree pins in the next row, two pins in the row next to the front, and one pin in the front row. This arrangement is shown in side elevational view in Figure 6, and as will be seen,

the transverse bars 14 of the frame are disposed transversely between the four rows of pins. As shown best in Figures 4 and 6, each of the clutch jaws 52 is provided with a forwardly or rearwardly extending shaft 62 having a roller M at the end thereof, said roller being positioned to engage the upper surface of one of the angle iron transverse bars 45. As will be readily apparent from Figure 6, each of the shafts 62 extends forwardly of its clutch jaw, except the shafts upon the clutch jaws of the single clutch member of the first row, which extend rearwardly whereby the three sets of clutch jaws of the first and second rows of clutch members are engaged with the same transversely interposed member 44. The shafts 62 are so located relative to the center of gravity of the clutch jaws 52, that when the side members 32 and the transverse members 44 are lifted in a manner to be set forth hereinafter, the rollers 85 and shafts 62 are elevated to thereby cause an opening movement of the clutch jaws as shown in Figure 8. During this movement, it will be seen that the rollers 64, move apart upon the transverse bar 44 as shown in Figure 8.

Attention is next directed to Figures 2 and 3 for an understanding of the actuating means for the rack and the frame. Upon a suitable support 66 in the compartment I8 to the rear of the backstop i4, is mounted an electric motor 68 which by suitable gearing indicated at If! drives at an appropriate speed a crank shaft 12 having a crank arm l4 thereon. This arm rotates in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrows in Figures 2 and 3. It should be here noted that a counterclockwise rotation would not be capable of imparting the desired motion to this device.

As shown best in Figure l, the crank shaft 12 will preferably be provided with a crank arm 14 at each extremity thereof and these crank arms terminate in crank pins 16. These crank pins 16 are connected to angularly offset crank pins 18 by a crank throw 88, the pins 15 and 78 being disposed at different radial distances from the axis of the crank shaft 12 and also upon different radii thereof.

A support means having a pair of longitudinally disposed arms 82, vertical pillars or standards 84 and a transverse bar 86 is secured in any suitable manner to the backstop wall [4 and to the side walls E6 of the bowling alley. Four pulleys or sheaves 88 are journaled upon the-bar 8B, and four cables are entrained over these pulleys and fastened to the four crank pins 75 and '18. To the inner pins 16 a pair of cables 98 are connected and entrained over a pair of the pulleys 83 and are connected to the forward ends of the actuating levers 33 upon which is supported the frame mentioned hereinbefore. To the outer crank pins '13, a second pair of cables 92 are connected and are entrained over further pulleys 88 and connected at convenient points to the sides of the rack member 28.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the manner of operating the mechanism will be now readily understood. With the rack and frame in the raised position, as is shown in Figure 3, a set of pins may be inserted in the clutch jaws 52 through the apertures and will be retained therein by virtue of the clutch members or jaws having centers of mass that cause the same to be urged to a pin engaging position by gravity to hold the pins for subsequent placement upon the alley. In order to permit this operation, the crank pins and cables are in the position shown in Figure 3, wherein the crank pins 18 and the cables 92 are in their extreme rearward position relative to the crank shaft l2, and therack is elevated to its greatest extent about its pivot point 24. At the same time, the crank pins 16 and attached cables 90, are likewise in their rearmost position, and the lengths of the cables 92 and 90 are so adjusted that the clutch jaws 52 are now closed by gravity gripping the pins 32 therebetween. When the bowling has been temporarily completed upon the alley, and it is desired to re-set the pins thereon, the electricmotor 68 is energized by a means to be subsequently set forth causing the rotation in a clockwise direction of the arms 14. As the crank pins 16 and is rotate, the cables 90 and 92 are allowed to move forward, thereby lowering the rack and frame upon the rigid supporting arms or levers 22. This operation continues until the rack is in its fully lowered position shown in Figures 5 and 6, with the pins placed upon the alley on their proper spots, and with the abutment members 34 upon the surface of the alley thereby limiting and stopping further downward movement of the rack. As the crank arms 14 continue to rotate into the position shown in Figure 2, the crank pins 16 tighten the cables 90, thereby liftmotor 68 for actuating the same.

ing the frame support levers 38 about their fulcrums 40, and thereby elevating the frame side members 42 and transverse bars 44, into the position shown in Figure 2. As the frame members are elevated, the rollers 94 are actuated to open the clutch jaws whereby the pins are freed from their gripping means. As the crank arms I4 continue to rotate, both cables 99 and 92 are now drawn in, and the rack and frame move up as a unit into the position shown in Figure 3.

Particular attention is directed to the arrangement of the crank pins 75 and 16 and their connecting crank arms or crank throws 80 as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, since it is the angular positions and arrangements of the parts which cause the properly timed sequence of movement of the cables 90 and 92 to perform the above mentioned step in the operation of the device.

In order to control the operation of the motor and the automatic functioning of the pin setter device, a suitable electric control means is provided as indicated diagrammatically in Figure 9. The actual construction of the motor control means forms no part of this invention, and any suitable construction thereof may be employed, that shown in Figure 9 being one satisfactory embodiment of the same. Current from an suitable source is supplied from a pair of leads indicated generally at 96- under the control of a pair of manually operable switches 06 and 98 arranged in parallel with each other for selective operation of the motor 68. Preferably, one switch such as 99 may be disposed adjacent the bowling foul line, whereby it may be operated by the bowler himself, while the other switch 98 may be located in the pin pit where it may be' operated by a pin boy or other attendant. Each switch 96 and 98 is held in its normal open position by a spring means I09, but when closed is maintained in closed position by a solenoid I02. A solenoid switch I04 is connected by a link I05 with each of the manual switches 96 and 98 for simultaneous actuation thereof.

The arrangement is such that the manual switches 96 and 98 and their inter-linked solenoid switches I04 are normally held open by the springs I00. When however either switch 96 or 98 is closed, the solenoid switch I 04 is likewise closed and current may flow through the positive lead I 08 into both the solenoid I02 and the selected switch 98 or 98 and then by lead IIO to the The solenoid I02 functions to maintain both switches I04 and 96 or 98 in their closed position until a release switch indicated generally at II2 breaks the flow of current through leads I08, H0 and the motor 68. The release switch H2 is synchronized with the operation of the motor 08, as by a cam operated thereby, whereby after a predetermined operation of the motor 68 such as is necessary to make one revolution of the crank shaft I2, the circuit is broken whereupon the spring I00 opens the manually operable switch. By this means, the motor is manually set in operation, and after performing one cycle of operation of the pin set- 6 ting machine as set forth hereinbefore, the cir-' cuit is automatically broken, and the parts stopped in the position which they had initially assumed.

It is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing description and the drawings are to be regarded as illustrative of the principles of the invention only, and are not to be taken as limiting the scope of protection which it is desired to obtain. Accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a pin setter, a rack having apertures for receiving a plurality of bowling pins in predetermined relation, a frame, means carried by and depending from the rack for slidably guiding vertical movement of the frame relative to the rack, a release element pivoted to said rack and connected to said frame for selectively raising and lowering said frame relative to said rack, pairs of jaws pivoted to said rack with the jaws of each pair normally urged towards each other to grip a bowling pin therebetween, and release means carried by said jaws engaging said frame and responsive to upward movement of the frame relative to the rack to release said jaws, and operating means for said rack and said release element comprising a rotatable rigid member, means for effecting rotation of said member, first and second holders carried by said rotatable member, said second holder being further from the axis of rotation than said first holder, one of said holders angularly trailing the other, a first flexible connector connecting said rack to said second holder, and a second flexible connector connecting said release element to the first mentioned holder for synchronized actuation of said rack and releasing element upon rotation of said rotatable member.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said jaws pivotally depend from saidrack, said jaws having enlarged offset lower end portions urging said jaws towards a pin engaging position by gravity.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein common pivot pins are provided to pivot the opposing jaws of each pair of jaws.

CHARLES E. GOFF.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 838,766 Boyd Dec. 18, 1906 1,122,622 McFarland Dec. 29, 1914 1,144,091 Anderson June 22, 1915 1,449,012 Lorenz et a1. Mar. 20, 1923 1,597,974 Hedenskoog Aug. 31, 1926 1,833,814 Backus Nov. 24, 1931 2,231,842 Rundell Feb. 11, 1941 2,284,208 Hedenskoog May 26, 1942 2,326,554 Nall Aug. 10, 1943 

